The Messenger on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan’s survival. What begins as a classic action platformer soon unravels into an expansive time-traveling adventure full of thrills, surprises, and humor.
The Messenger is a retro, platformer and pixel graphics game
developed by Sabotage
and published by Devolver Digital.
Released on August 30th 2018 is available only on Windows
in 10 languages: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese - Brazil and Russian.
It has received 11,860 reviews of which 11,059 were positive and 801 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.1 out of 10. 😍
The game is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam, but you can find it for 1.02€ on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified The Messenger into these genres:
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or newer (64 bit)
- Processor: Intel core i5-4210 1.7ghz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400
- Storage: 1200 MB available space
- Sound Card: Onboard soundcard or better
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
This game is so frustrating because it switches between really good and pretty bad fairly frequently. I will say that overall I enjoyed my time, and considering the state of current indie games, this was fairly refreshing to play since there's no real top tier platformers releasing, at least not in this style. I bought this game back in 2019, got to Cloud Ruins, and just stopped. I've recently decided to work through my backlog and was in the mood for a platformer, so I finally gave this game another shot. It scratched the itch, but it could’ve been so much better. Genre There are a couple of reasons why I feel that way. If you want to avoid spoilers at all costs, stop reading here. But honestly, I think it’s important to be aware of this going in, otherwise you might have the wrong expectations. This game is a platformer for the first half, but halfway through it turns into a metroidvania. I hate metroidvanias. That’s not to say it’s bad, but I just dislike them. It’s a personal thing. Especially in this game, you spend so much time backtracking, and teleport points are few and far between. The reason I was still able to 100% it is that the game is very short overall, and thankfully it has in-game upgrades that help you track collectibles. That removed a big chunk of what usually makes metroidvanias annoying for me. Gameplay The gameplay itself is tight, except when it isn't. It's hard to describe, but some rooms are really well designed and incredibly fun, while others are just boring or flat-out annoying. It doesn't always correlate with difficulty either. When you have to clearly differentiate between simple cloudsteps and gliding, which share the same button, it can become a pain. That’s mostly what I meant at the beginning about this game being frustrating. The potential is clearly there, but it rarely comes together as well as it could. Most of the time the rooms are just average, but sometimes they’re really good or really bad. Difficulty I don’t think the game is that difficult, but it’s not easy either. I’ve seen reviews saying it's one of the hardest games of all time, and I think that’s a huge stretch. I think the bigger issue is that, unlike something like Celeste, if you're unlucky, checkpoints can be far apart and that’s frustrating. Some rooms definitely can be challenging, but it depends on your tolerance for these kinds of games. If this is your first time playing something like this, it'll probably feel very difficult. If it’s not, then it really shouldn’t be too bad. If you wan't to go for 100% then there's only like 2-3 achievements that are challenging, except for that it's mostly just an extra time sink. OST Not much to say, the soundtrack is great. Classic chiptune. There are a couple of really standout tracks that I genuinely enjoyed. Story and Writing Now, finally, I don’t think writing is all that important in games like this, but man, the writing here is so inconsistent. Maybe it’s just not for me. Plenty of people seem to love it, so your mileage may vary. But for me, the humor wears thin really fast. Once you get used to it, it becomes very unfunny, very quickly. Then, after not taking itself seriously for the entire game, it hits you with a massive lore dump toward the end. And I’m just like... either commit fully to being a parody or take the story seriously from the start. I wish it had gone with the more serious tone. Moments like the end of the Sunken Shrine had such a strong vibe, and they made me realize I would’ve much preferred that tone overall. That level, for me, was the peak of the game. Everything came together really nicely there. I have no clue how the writing in Sea of Stars compares to this, but if it's at all similar it would make it unplayable for me. I would hope they improved though I heard conflicting informations about that game, too. Verdict Despite the issues, I’m still glad I went back to it. There’s enough here to enjoy if you’re willing to put up with the frustrating parts. I'd say if you're in the mood for something like this and can deal with the genre shift or the writing really hooks you then it's an 8/10 otherwise: 7/10
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I liked this game a lot. The 1st part hit astronomically well, everything felt great and cohesive. The 2nd half was kinda weak, the backtracking was annoying, the direction was vague and annoying to navigate and just kinda fell flat for me, but it was still an overall great experience. This was another one and done game for me. I played it to death once, greatly enjoyed it, but don't plan on ever touching it again despite how great it was. I watched The Completionist's review of it years ago which inspired me to add it to my wishlist. By the time I finally bought and played this game, The Completionist's career fell apart after he was exposed for engaging in financial fraud. That was one hell of a timeskip
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Don't let the graphics fool you, this is a really well made game. It's a combination of NES Ninja Gaiden to a Metroidvania. The simple controls and skill tree is interesting. I had no problems learning and becoming a skilled ninja. Some folks might be turned off by the quirky dialogue, but it gives this game that charm. Especially the more you progress further into the game. As someone who is from the 8-Bit era, The Messenger is a welcoming addition to the modern retro style games I adore. Another great Ninja game I absolutely enjoyed this from beginning to end. The music (and the change into it) is really well done. Sabotage developer, you did good! Thumbs up for The Messenger and highly recommended. Works flawlessly on Steam Deck
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I have a deep respect for studios that have carved out their niche and become masters of their craft. Sabotage Studio is a prime example of creating a product that needs no marketing; it's the kind of game that can be sold with just a few words exchanged between friends or a recommendation on Reddit—and just like that, another copy is sold. The Messenger has many strengths, but its crowning achievement is its undeniable charm. The game never takes itself too seriously, which is evident in its bizarre conversations with the shopkeeper and a narrative that endlessly breaks the fourth wall. It brims with playful references to 8-bit games from the Sega Mega Drive era, a lightness of spirit, and a certain slyness in its setting. In many ways, The Messenger can be compared to the 2011 Oscar-winning film The Artist , which didn’t simply rehash silent film tropes but captured the era’s true spirit. Similarly, Stranger Things doesn’t exploit 80s nostalgia but lovingly recreates the mood and feel of the time. These kinds of projects don’t just imitate the originals—they’re better versions, and that’s why they resonate. Mechanically, the game strikes a delicate balance. The difficulty ramps up at just the right pace—not too fast, not too slow. There’s room for exploration, and overcoming obstacles feels rewarding. The game will appeal to casual players who might have been intimidated by the hardcore difficulty of games like Celeste , while still offering plenty to those who enjoy a challenge. All the ingredients are thoughtfully chosen, perfectly balanced, and executed with care. It’s an excellent game, one you can confidently recommend.
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Pros: -Artstyle direction is great. -Amazing OST -Fun and rewarding platforming that can get hard but never unfair -Characters aren't too story-driven but makeup with amazing humor. -8bit to 16bit gimmick is brilliant -You get a free DLC Cons: -You're still reading the review and haven't bought the game. Just go buy it, it's honestly an amazing game! 10/10
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Messenger is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.
The Messenger is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 19.50€ on Steam.
The Messenger received 11,059 positive votes out of a total of 11,860 achieving an impressive rating of 9.07.
😍
The Messenger was developed by Sabotage and published by Devolver Digital.
The Messenger is playable and fully supported on Windows.
The Messenger is not playable on MacOS.
The Messenger is not playable on Linux.
The Messenger is a single-player game.
There are 5 DLCs available for The Messenger. Explore additional content available for The Messenger on Steam.
The Messenger does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
The Messenger supports Remote Play on TV. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
The Messenger is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for The Messenger.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 16 July 2025 19:25 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 10 July 2025 22:55 |
| Steam price | 18 July 2025 20:40 |
| Steam reviews | 18 July 2025 09:46 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about The Messenger, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about The Messenger
- SteamCharts - Analysis of The Messenger concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck The Messenger compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
35
Developer
Sabotage
Publisher
Devolver Digital
Release
30 Aug 2018
Platforms
Remote Play
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